The Rhetorical Career of Cesar Chavez

Cesar Chavez urged the farm laborers of America to proclaim, "Si se puede - Yes, we can!" An indefatigable speaker, writer, and organizer, Chavez developed a well-thought-out approach to his rhetorical discourse and placed his speaking and writing at the very center of his career. By merging thought and character in his themes, arguments, and explanations, he identified with the character of his listeners. Award-winning scholars John C. Hammerback and Richard J. Jensen offer a thorough examination of how Chavez developed his speeches and writings to further his agenda for union activism. They analyze his world view, the rhetorical approaches he took, and many of his own texts, showing that although born into one of the least powerful segments of American society, Chavez led the farmlabor movement to unprecedented heights.